past few weeks, executives from HTC leave the ship one after the other. If the recent financial results of the Taiwanese firm may be the cause, it is mainly a question of a succession of failures both in terms of communication or products.
The year 2012 was particularly difficult for HTC. The Taiwanese manufacturer has completely screwed in sales, allowing Samsung to take a substantial lead in market share on mobile. Yet some smartphones seem to have learned their pins of the game as the One X last year or One launched earlier this year.
However, the latter had the right to start a complicated, mainly because of a shortage of shells. If the recent announcements of the brand wanted reassuring to be able to keep up with demand, it remains in parallel Samsung has already announced that it would surpass the 10 million Galaxy S4 sold.
First, the “Facebook Phone” is a stinging defeat for the moment
But if the One is doing well, the First, the dedicated Facebook Home smartphone is meanwhile an oven in terms of sales. Indeed, price cuts have already been made overseas, but he still did not take off. Worse, it would be the strategy around this phone would have been a calamity. HTC should have the exclusive home for some time in order to boost sales.
However, Facebook has changed its plans on the way for the installation of the application launcher on a larger number of mobile terminals … in the end, the Taiwanese mobile has a very limited market interest.
bleeding in executives
Still, a groundswell seems to touch the executives of the company who go one after the other. Within three months, the product manager is gone, when he was in charge of the overall product strategy for the brand. Previously, Jason Gordon, vice president of communications, had also left his position as John Starkweather (director of digital marketing), Rebecca Rowland (Global Marketing Manager) or Eric Lin (responsible for product strategy). In short, the bleeding is in progress … and it is not yet finished.
It seems that the main cause of the bad atmosphere at HTC is mainly caused by successive failures in terms of both sales and communication. According to our colleagues in the Wall Street Journal, Peter Chou, the current CEO of the company, would also set an ultimatum of his own position: if sales of the One, the new flagship of the brand, do not take off, he will leave his post
What choices
short term boost the image
Now what could be the HTC ideas to develop in an attempt to make a quick return? Windows Phone Nokia which accounts for a large part of the users, but also the communication from Microsoft, the future seems complicated, despite good products like 8S and 8X. In addition, the limitations of the operating system does not allow for an adaptation of existing One, both in terms of SoC he sailed, that the definition of the screen.
the side of Android, it seems worse with the hegemonic position that Samsung have really starts. Still, the manufacturer may attempt to offer its One through the Google Play Store in a stripped overcoat and is updated as the Nexus release.
choice has already done its main competitor with the Galaxy S4. It would suffice to provide a continent that the United States to avoid the frontal impact. It would certainly be a user niche, but certainly very good for branding. In addition, the rapid decline One, as provided in mini versions, but maintaining high quality specifications, would stand out from what competitors are doing.